Nawaz, Talat Guides Pakistan Home in a Nervy Chase Against Sri Lanka

Pakistan bounced back strongly in the Super Fours stage by defeating Sri Lanka. The men in green completed the chase of 133 runs in the 18th over. It was indeed a tough chase for the green shirts, as they saw a quick collapse after getting a promising start. The duo of Mohammad Nawaz and Hussain Talat guided Pakistan in the nervy chase that was slowly becoming quite tense in the end.

Batting first, Sri Lanka didn’t have a great start at Abu Dhabi. They lost Kusal Mendis in the first over and then Nissanka in the third, courtesy of some great bowling by Shaheen Shah Afridi. Losing both openers at the start of the game gave a big jolt to the Sri Lankans. Their opening plans were disrupted by Pakistan's pace attack, as they kept things tight by bowling splendid spells.

The promotion of Kusal Perera to the third position also didn’t work for the Lankan lions. He tried to play some shots, but then fell to Haris Rauf in the last over of the Powerplay. By losing three wickets in the first six overs, the Sri Lankan batting innings then looked very uncomfortable.

The captain of Sri Lanka, Charith Asalanka, tried to build innings with Kamindu Mendis, but then, another jolt smashed them afterwards.

Talat Hussain bagged two back-to-back wickets in the 8th over. He first trapped Charith Asalanka and then sent back Dasun Shanaka immediately on the next ball. This double-wicket blow further derailed the Sri Lankan innings, as Kamindu was left helpless at the other end.

The middle-order batter then played a gritty knock and steadied the innings from one end. He scored a fighting fifty by taking the game deep. It was due to his efforts, Sri Lanka were able to post 133 in the end despite losing early wickets.

When Pakistan came out to bat, they looked confident. The in-form Sahibzada Farhan took down the Sri Lankan attack bowlers by playing aggressively. Surprisingly, Fakhar Zaman was not at his best in today’s game. He looked out of touch with the bat from the first over. Due to this, he didn’t contribute a lot in the Powerplay, but still supported Farhan to rotate the strike regularly.

All was going well for Pakistan in the Powerplay until Maheesh Theekshana came with a double-wicket blow. Both Farhan and Fakhar lost their wickets in the same over, as Theekshana exposed their hitting limitations.

At this moment, Pakistan needed a partnership, and Saim Ayub should have answered that call. Unfortunately, he once again disappointed the Pakistan fans by getting out cheaply to Wanindu Hasaranga. This was the wicket that made Pakistan fans nervous, but then, Hussain Talat arrived at the crease.

He played with wisdom, knowing what was required at that particular time. He made sure to bring calmness in the middle, so that a partnership can be built. Fortunately, Mohammad Nawaz gave him good company at the other end. Both played cautiously during the middle overs, ensuring not to give further wickets to the Sri Lankan team.

Their steady partnership allowed Pakistan to build a base, and then, Mohammad Nawaz finally started to hit big in the death overs. He scored a quick 38 off 24 balls, smashing 3 fours and 3 sixes. Due to this late push, Pakistan completed the chase in the 18th over. This win will now bring plenty of confidence in the Pakistan camp, as they were under some pressure after the India game.

The green shirts will now play their next Super Four match against Bangladesh on Thursday. They need to win this one as well to secure a confirmed spot in the Asia Cup 2025 final.